Newslink Interview: A Catalyst for Change at the CII

Interview

Newslink recently met up with Sian Fisher, the chief executive officer of the Chartered Insurance Institute(CII). The CII launched its Strategic Manifesto 2021 Road Map last November and we dropped in to get an update on progress. Fisher joined the CII last year after a successful career in the Insurance Market which highlighted her innovation and change management skills.
The CII over many years and across many countries has been known for its leadership in developing and examining insurance technical skills, but after research of the membership, Fisher was looking for a specific clarity of purpose. She found it in the original CII Charter in the vaults of its headquarters next door to The Guildhall in the City of London-central to the CII’s purpose is to build public trust in insurance through working together as one insurance profession, and driving confidence in the power of professional standards.
Whilst gaining examination qualifications is an important foundation, readily accepted by the fact that around half of new entrants to the profession are now university graduates, to Fisher it is only the beginning to being perceived by the public as being part of a trusted profession. The Chartered title for individuals introduced 28 years ago, and for firms more recently, is an appropriate vehicle, with its emphasis on Continuing Professional Development(CPD). but Fisher feels it needs to be taken up more widely at individual and corporate level. She is building up her management team in the areas of content/engagement, and learning/assessment, and a chief operating officer has also recently being appointed.
Clarity of purpose helps more clearly to distinguish the role of the CII compared with the positioning of industry “trade” bodies such as the ABI, BIBA, and the London Market group(LMG) with whom Fisher liaises regularly. The emphasis on perceived professionalism as the key to earning public trust also means that Fisher is leading the review of what this entails, building on the foundation of an insurance examination qualification–for instance, the future direction for the Fellowship designation, clearer links with selected Business Schools for MBA courses, future meaningful research and publications, and development of wider management skills.
International presence and collaboration with other institutes worldwide is another vital cog in the Manifesto strategy-Fisher had just returned from North America and was about to visit India. Diversity is also a key area of development-a recent high quality CII interim research report on Women’s Risks in Life has been well received–Fisher is executive chair of The Insuring Women’s Futures Committee which also has other leading members of the profession as members. Fisher is clear that learning and research has to be up to date and reflect the latest information technology in terms of content and delivery. Already, the regular CII Journal is reflecting this wider view, with ethics also as a continual message-a prime subject towards building public trust in the profession. Fisher is the Catalyst for Change at the CII-even to the point of promoting the transfer of its headquarters closer to the heart of the Insurance Market.
Newslink will be keeping in touch with CII Manifesto progress.

CII Trends(216 articles)-recent:
-CII appoints Bissell as COO
-CII launches Strategic Manifesto 2021 Roadmap with emphasis on building public trust in insurance
-New committee of senior executives to focus on women's risks to be led by CII